Match-box.



F. A FULLER.

MATCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED 050.5, 1912.

1,1538%. PatentedSept. 14, 1915.

ATTORNEY.

warren srarns Parana onrrcn.

FRANZ A. FULLER, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. E. MERGOTT COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MATCH-BOX.

Application filed December 5, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANZ A. FULLER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Match- Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make, construct, and use the same, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, forming a part of this specification.

The present invention has reference to improvements in that class of match boxes especially adapted for the reception of small packages of safety matches, made of cardboard, and such as have been in extensive use for advertising purposes, but which are also applicable to other uses, such as the carrying therein of visiting cards, memorandum pads, and similar articles.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a neat and simply constructed match safe or box of the general character stated, and the invention has for its further object to provide a match safe or box having a receiving element or holder adapted to receive and hold or retain a folder of matches of the character set forth, and at the same time, expose the igniting or scratching surface of the folder, so that the matches may be applied thereto for ignition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a match safe or box of the character above described, comprising two normally closed sections, and a receiving element or holder for the folder of matches pivotally arranged upon the hinge pin or rod of the case, said holder and the case sections being provided with means for automatically causing the folder of matches carried by the holder when the case is opened, to be accessible and to present the same for use so that the matches may easily and quickly be removed from the folder and ignited upon the scratcher.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a plan view of the box. Fig. 2 represents an enlarged end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged fragmentary view of the hinge or Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

Serial No. 735,003. 7

rear end of the lid. Fig. 4 represents an enlarged front elevation of the receiving ele ment or holder. Fig. 5 represents an en larged fragmentary view of the hinge or rear end of the box body. Fig. 6 represents a transverse sectional side elevation taken on lines 0c0c of Fig. l, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 7 represents a side elevation of the open box illustrating the receiving element or holder in dotted lines, the position which said holder assumes when the box is opened, and also showing the holder in full lines, being the position into which it has been moved preparatory to detaching the matches from the folder and igniting the same upon the scratcher; and Fig. 8 represents a plan view of the same.

Similar letters of reference are used in all of the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts throughout the specification and drawings.

The improved match box is preferably made of sheet metal of any suitable kind, and comprises a box body a, and a suitably hinged lid Z) of substantially the same shape and dimensions. These parts are of such shape as to lend themselves readily to manu facture by the use of suitable punches and dies, from ordinary sheet metal.

0, 0 represent lugs formed integrally with the front end of the box body at, extending downwardly into the box body into close proximity to and parallel with the front edge of the box body a, thus providing a narrow space between which the free ends of the combined spring and catch member d are secured. The combined spring and catch member (Z is formed from a single flat piece of suitable metal, as illustrated, the ends of the spring being located between the narrow space formed by the downwardly extending lugs c, c, and the front end of the box body flange. Formed centrally and integrally with the spring is an upwardly and inwardly extending tongue 6, provided with a projection f, to receive a holding lug 9, formed integral with the lid 6, so that when the box body and lid are closed, such lug 9 will be received by the projection 7 and firmly secure the box members in locked position.

it represents a push piece secured to the under side of the spring in any convenient with two extensions 2', which extensions act as guides to receive the tongue 6 of the spring d, to cause the lid 6 to properly register with the box body a, when they are in their closed relation to each other. This particular form of spring and catch when secured in place by the lugs 0, 0 will not become inoperative or separated from the box body a through careless manipulation.

The box body a and the lid Z) are respectively provided with one or more integral tubular members or cars j, 70 and Z, said tubular members j, is and Z, being adapted to dovetail together with the tubular members m and n of the receiving element or holder 0' to form a hinged barrel, all being operatively connected by means of a pin or pintle p. The receiving element or holder 0 is made from a single piece of metal and along its side edges 9 is provided with integral holding means 7 formed in the blank from which said holder ismade. These holding means 1', r extend inwardly from the side edges 9, q of the holder, so as to properly overlie the package of matches.

8 represents an outwardly projecting flange formed integrally with the lower end of the receiving element or holder 0, which has also formed integrally therewith, the

tubular bearings m and n which are formed by curling the metal thereof, as illustrated in the drawings. The outer edges of the tubular 'members m and n of the receiving element or holder 0, as'well as the inner edges of the tubular members ,7 of the box body a and Z of the lid 6, are so formed as to provide integral stops t, adapted to engage with each other to limit the movement of the holder 0 on the hinge pin or rod 19. In the preferred form, and'in order to insure stability, I curl the metal of the tubular members m and nof the holder 0 in opposite directions. It will thus be seen in Fig. 7 of the drawings, that upon opening the case,

the holder 0 with the folder of matches will assume the position illustrated in dotted lines, and that the holder 0 containing the folder of matches can then be moved into the position illustrated in full lines, so that the matches may easily and quickly be removed from the folder and ignited upon the scratcher. By changing the dimensions of the stops t, on the tubular members of the holder and the corresponding stops't on the tubular members j and Z of the box body a and lid 5, the position which the holder 0 will assume upon opening'the box, as'well as the movement thereof into the position shown in full lines, may be varied.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a match box in which I have reduced the actual number of parts to a minimum, and that when assembled and in position, the possibility of the parts becoming separated by careless manipulation, have also been reduced to a minimum.

Experience has demonstrated that the or- I ganization above described is a practical and efficient one for accomplishing the ends sought by this invention. The construction may, however, be varied in detail by those skilled in such matters without departing from the invention.

I claim: 7

1. As a new article of manufacture, a case, comprising a pair of hinged body sections, means for locking the said body sections in their closed relation, a hinged receiving element or holder pivotally connected with the hinge of said body sections, the said holder and the said body section hinges being each provided with integral engaging stops having engagement with each other when the case is opened to carry the holder in one direction with one of said body sections and to limit-the movement of the holder when moved in the direction of the other of said body sections.

:2. As a newarticle of manufacture, a case, comprising a pair of hinged body sections, spring-actuated means for locking said body sections in their closed relation, a receiving element or holder pivotally connected with the hinge of said body section's, said holder having integral tubular extensions formed in opposite directions, said extensionson their outer faces being provided with stops, and the hinged sections of the case having integral tubular extensions, the outer tubular extension of each section being provided with a stop on its inner face to engage with the stops on the outer faces of the tubular extensions of the holder to limit the movef l/Vitnesses FREDK C. FIsoHER,

W. H. CONKLIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

